Period of entitlement


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Your period of entitlement to maternity allowance is determined in accordance with your accrued qualifying period:
  • Maximum maternity allowance for a period of 15 weeks (105 days of entitlement) - if you have paid insurance contributions for either 10 of the 14 months, or 15 of the 22 months preceding the cessation of work.
  • Partial maternity allowance for a period of 8 weeks (56 days of entitlement) - if you have paid insurance contributions for 6 of the 14 months preceding the cessation of work.

When is the first day of entitlement to payment of maternity allowance?

The first day of entitlement to maternity allowance is determine according to the date of your work stoppage, however not earlier than 53 days before the date of birth, if you are entitled to a maximum maternity allowance, or earlier than 28 days, if you are entitled to a partial maternity allowance.
Please note that you are not able to submit a claim for maternity allowance earlier than 9 weeks before the estimated date of birth.

Extension of the qualifying period

Due to a multiple birth (more than one)

If you gave birth to more than one newborn in a single childbirth, you are entitled to maternity allowance for a longer period:

  • If you are entitled to a maximum maternity allowance - you will receive maternity allowance for 3 additional weeks per child born in this childbirth. In other words, whether you had twins or triplets, you would receive maternity allowance for a period of 18 weeks and 21 weeks, respectively, and so forth.
  • If you are entitled to a partial maternity allowance - you will receive maternity allowance for 2 additional weeks per child born in this childbirth. In other words, whether you had twins or triplets, you would receive maternity allowance for a period of 10 weeks and 12 weeks, respectively, and so forth.

Maternity allowance for an additional period of entitlement is paid automatically, and submitting a claim is not required.

Due to the mother's hospitalization

If you need to stay at the hospital or be hospitalized again for at least 15 days (consecutive or not), during your period of entitlement to maternity allowance - you are entitled to an extension of you period of entitlement and will receive further maternity allowance for the period of prolongation:

  • If you are entitled to a maximum maternity allowance - you can prolong your period of entitlement according to the number of hospitalization days, although not by more than 4 additional weeks.
  • If you are entitled to a partial maternity allowance - you can prolong your period of entitlement according to the number of hospitalization days, although not by more than 2 additional weeks.

Due to the newborn's hospitalization

If the newborn needs to stay at the hospital or be hospitalized again for at least 15 days (consecutive or not), during your period of entitlement to maternity allowance - you are entitled to an extension of you period of entitlement and will receive further maternity allowance for the period of prolongation:

  • If you are entitled to a maximum maternity allowance - you can prolong your period of entitlement according to the number of hospitalization days, although not by more than 20 additional weeks.
  • If you are entitled to a partial maternity allowance - you can prolong your period of entitlement according to the number of hospitalization days, although not by more than 12 additional weeks.

Please note, if you are both you and your newborn were hospitalized for les than 15 days during the period of entitlement to maternity allowance, and your hospitalization periods were not overlapping, you can combine and complete your hospitalization periods in order to be entitled to an entitlement period extension.

Splitting the period of entitlement due to hospitalization

If you or your child need to stay at the hospital or be hospitalized again for at least 15 days during the period of entitlement to maternity allowance (15 or 8 weeks), you are allowed to split the period of entitlement in the following manner:

  1. After at least 3 weeks from the day following childbirth, you can return to work.
  2. Upon newborn hospital discharge, your remaining period of entitlement can be resumed.

Submitting a request for extension or split of the period of entitlement

In order to extend of split the period of entitlement, you have to submit a claim to extend or split maternity allowance, as soon possible.
You must attach to the claim form the following documents:

  • Authorization from the hospital involving details regarding the mother or the newborn and the period of hospitalization.
  • Salaried employee - you must attach an authorization from your employer regarding the extension or the split of the birth and parenthood period.
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